In 2001 Charter Day was established by proclamation of the Governor of Massachusetts to honor the anniversary of the day Boston was named, September 7, 1630. In fact, three towns were named that day: Boston, Dorchester and Watertown.

Trimountaine became Boston; Mattapan became Dorchester; and the Towne upon Charles River became Watertown.

Dorchester?s settlers had come to the New World separately and slightly in advance of the Winthrop Fleet in the ship Mary and John, leaving from England?s West County and settling at Dorchester (Mattapan) about May 30, 1630. The Winthrop Fleet, which sailed from the east of England, landed at the small town of Salem, and some of these early planters later settled at Boston (Trimountaine). The summer of 1630 also saw the settlement of Watertown by a group headed by Sir Richard Saltonstall.

As the main body of the passengers on the Mary and John landed at Nantasket and traveled north overland to what is now Dorchester, Roger Clap went by boat with nine others to explore the coastline, eventually arriving at what is now Watertown. Tradition says that Roger traded biscuits to the Indians in exchange for fish, an event commemorated by the monument in Watertown exhibiting the bas-relief pictured above.

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here.Created: August 23, 2009 Modified: August 23, 2009